SLAQ / IASL 2010 Conference

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Brisbane, Qld, Australia
27 September - 1 October 2010

Diversity Challenge Resilience
SCHOOL LIBRARIES IN ACTION

Tuesday 28 September 2010 -
Presenters, topics and abstracts

Concurrent session 1 | Trade presentation 1 | Trade presentation 2 | Concurrent session 2 | Poster session

Concurrent session 1

CS1.1 - Guitar Hero? My hero! – Judith Way, Australia.
Guitar Hero is a video game where one or more players use a specially made game-style guitar to play along to popular and well-known songs. Players need to match the correct notes and timings of the songs. An on-screen guide shows players which notes to play, when. There are levels of difficulty in the game, as well as the choices to play with or against other players. Players can select from bass, rhythm or lead guitar and the program adjusts the difficulty of play accordingly. I have been interested in gaming as a way of enhancing learning since I first played Guitar Hero with my nephew a few years ago. He was proficient at the game and was a great teacher, showing me what to do so that we could play well together. After a full day’s playing, we were both still engaged and interacting constantly on and off the screen. For a teenage boy to spend the entire day engaged in an activity with his middle aged aunty is a modern miracle in my book and the fact that we both enjoyed the day and I learned from him was a real bonus.

CS1.2 – Boys, blogs and books – Margo Pickworth, Australia.
In an action research project, young male students from Sydney, Australia and Richmond, USA contributed to a collaborative writing blog. Both groups of students shared the same text with their class teachers, while using the medium of collaborative blogging, a process which was facilitated and managed by the teacher-librarian. Data was gathered using both qualitative and quantitative methods to determine whether the project assisted boys to become powerful, prolific and confident writers. Results indicated that the blogging process failed to provide any increase in the volume of writing; however the opportunity to share opinions and ideas globally provided motivation to write more powerfully and with increased confidence.

CS1.3 – The role of the teacher-librarian in developing leadership capabilities in staff -- Dr Michael Hough, Australia.
This session will focus on the dilemmas and challenges of providing effective leadership skills for modern schools with digital ICT capabilities. It will review the selected challenges of engaging different generations of staff in ICT based learning and recommend strategies for effective leadership of ICT based schools. It will particularly focus on the issues of how a teacher-librarian and a library can assist to provide relevance and appropriateness of ICT based proposals and programs, and suggest ways to implement leadership policies which enable senior staff to remain accountable whilst all the changes enabled by ICT based learning are occurring within a school.

CS1.4 – Christchurch City Libraries ‘Reading for Reading’ – Philippa Buckley, Brad Meek and Pat Smith, New Zealand.
This paper reports on the experiences of the evaluation team, comprised of experienced librarians from the Christchurch City Libraries and primary teacher educators (from Canterbury University) as they planned and implemented interventions working with the children of teen mothers (one marginalised cohort within a wider study). In particular it focuses on the Christchurch City Libraries’ (CCL) use of the Ready for Reading kit (R4R) to provide an intervention for a group of non-library users. It explores the diversity of strengths within the research evaluation team and describes the challenges faced and resilience required as they focused on motivating non-library using parents to support their children’s literacy development. Strengths of a multidisciplinary team are explored and how the ingredients of community connections and passion for literacy, together with clear knowledge of reading process, were needed to develop interventions that would meet the needs of the target groups by supporting children’s transition into school.

CS1.5 – The Plato Program: an innovative information skills continuum – John Stanton, Australia.
Plato Program is an innovative and dynamic subject that was introduced to explore “Learning how to learn” in Year 7. In response to observations by staff that students lacked critical thinking and research skills, it has metamorphosed into a vehicle for the delivery of information literacy within the curriculum, with a particular focus on electronic information sources. The course is structured using the well-known matrix combining Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences with Bloom’s Taxonomy, populated by tasks exploring information-based ‘Essential Questions’.

CS1.6 – Assessing school library as learning environments – Barbara Schultz-Jones & Cynthia Ledbetter, USA. (Research Forum)
This paper presents the full results from a 2008/2009 research study examining the application of a learning environment paradigm to the school library setting. The preliminary results from the examination of the Fifth Grade science classes were presented at the IASL 2009 Research Forum. We now report the process of completing our comparative examination of the relationships among student perceptions of science programs and library programs with Third (ages 8 and 9), Fourth (ages 9 and 10) and Fifth (ages 10 and 11) Grades. In addition, we extend the assessment of these relationships to a correlation with student achievement on the standardized State tests for Texas.

Trade presentation session 1

T1.1 – Ok Students! Go and Google something you’ve never heard of before! A voyage of discovery from I don’t know where... - Libcode
Let’s take another look at the classification secrets squirreled away in the mystical caves of the librarians / information specialists... shift our perspective to that of a barely interested student on the Internet... and derive a range of brainstorming tools that allow young people to discover new ideas each and every time they make a basic enquiry - Guided or not! Classification into logical groups is obviously a useful way to understand and store information... everybody from the scientists to the dance club DJs are doing it! With the introduction of a National Learning Framework imminent perhaps it’s time we attempted to classify a standardised list of subject access points in terms of the KLAs their strands and sub-strands... then made it easy and interesting to use.

T1.2 – Realise the potential of your IWB! -- Emerging Technologies Specialist, Patrick Byrne, encourages you to learn more about your interactive whiteboard and its extraordinary potential! With the use of various software available through the Videopro Business Centre, Pat shows you how to create a fun-filled learning environment for students of all ages.

T1.3 – Britannica Online School Edition: a complete teaching aid - Camille Davey, Director of Education and Library Services Aust/NZ.
See why Britannica is head of the class. Britannica Online School Edition has tipped the scales of online encyclopaedias by including four different products within the one resource. Through each of the age-appropriate resources, Britannica provides instructional and research content that will fit the needs of every user from one simple access point. Contained within is the Encyclopaedia Britannica for Senior High School students, Britannica for Middle School and Primary Britannica and Britannica’s latest program for Prek-2 Early Learners, Learning Zone. With the addition of Learning Zone, Britannica Online School Edition reaches every user at every level, while still providing educators with teacher resources, learning objects, digital images and media, maps and much more. This session will provide instruction on how to use this complete research tool, while having some interactive fun.

T1.4 - Library Webs: meeting the challenge of Internet research – Melody Cargeeg, Resource Manager.
Library Webs: an illustrated Internet Library with over 70,000 selected links for secondary students. The collection is arranged in subject order as in a regular library and is continually updated and upgraded. The topics are divided into sections which help students to grasp the topic as a whole while being able to investigate aspects of it in depth. Each topic and section in the database has a persistent link, making Library Webs an ideal resource for the creation of electronic research guides to accompany assignment tasks. Using Library Webs within the school library and classrooms ensures that students have high quality online resources immediately available for assignment research. Teachers and teacher-librarians are relieved of the duty of finding and maintaining appropriate Internet sites for their students. This presentation will guide delegates through the resources via the various search strategies and demonstrate how they can be incorporated into electronic research guides.

T1.5 – Showcasing our Macmillan Digital Library - Sonia Evans, Primary Manager.
To provide delegates the opportunity to view the growing range of Australian published digital resources. Macmillan Education has a strong reputation for producing quality resources to support the teaching and learning process within our schools.  Macmillan has always aimed at addressing the needs of our teachers and with this in mind, has committed to providing our quality Library resources not only in hardback but in digital format.  We have the largest Australian produced digital resource collection and we will continue to publish resources that will support our new Australian Curriculum.  Macmillan has included a full unlimited site license with each CD which enables schools to network the resources at an exceptionally affordable price as well as manage the licensing agreements with more ease.

T1.6 – Oxford Dictionaries Online - Marika Whitfield, Regional Manager, Oxford University Press, United Kingdom.
Oxford Dictionaries Online is Oxford's new premium online modern English dictionary and language reference service. The site includes more than 350,000 entries and definitions, 600,000 synonyms and antonyms, and a vast, unique sense-linked sentence bank of over 1.9 million real English usage examples. Users can select the World English version or the US English version according to preference and all the content, based on Oxford's largest modern English dictionaries and thesauruses, is linked intelligently and seamlessly to provide users with fast intuitive access to the definitions and answers they need. The audio function and section on grammar and usage is ideal for students with English as a second language. The advanced search allows users to restrict searches to Australian English. Oxford Dictionaries Online is a valuable information resource for both teachers and students.

Trade presentation session 2

T2.1 – Introduction to the World Book Web – A multi-tiered reference resource for learners of all ages -- Catherine Hain, Sales and Marketing Manager at Forward Learning, the local distributor of World Book products in Australian and New Zealand.
This seminar provides an introduction to the World Book Web suite of online research tools which include encyclopedia articles, primary source collections, educator tools, student activities, pictures, audio, and video, complemented by current periodicals and related web sites. There are currently 16 online products designed to suit a range of ages and specific needs from early learning to advanced research available with translation into 30 foreign languages and read-aloud in English capabilities. This seminar will provide an insight into our range of World Book Classroom products including the brand new “Science Power”. All attendees will be provided with a FREE one month trial of the product.

T2.2 – The essential role of the librarian in resourcing the school collection to address the national curriculum or the IB curriculum -- Rick Susman, Managing Director, The Booklegger
The Australian National Curriculum provides an unprecedented opportunity for librarians to be at the forefront of school development & leadership, providing teachers, principals and students access to books and other materials to support learning outcomes. Librarians at schools with IB and MYP programs are also able to become central figures in curricula that are research and information dependent. Rick will demonstrate his methodology of library / curriculum development, discussing case-studies of collection building in Australian and Asian schools, showing how a practical collaborative approach can produce exceptional teacher and student participation and provide access to a vast array of appropriate books in print and e-book formats, showing also some of the materials that will have direct relevance to National Curriculum and the IB.

T2.3 – New for old -- Carole Bloomer, Sales Consultant
The Web has changed how people gather and consume information. With this in mind, Gale has developed new tools to support learners as they develop critical thinking and information literacy skills.
Gale recently introduced its In Context databases; these are a complete makeover of the old Resource Centres and have a mass of new features that we are delighted to be able to show off.

  • The acclaimed content for which Gale is known
  • Engaging, highly-relevant and media-rich content delivered in context through more than 1,800 Web-like portal pages
  • Customisable options to help you best serve your users
  • Convenient user tools such as Search Assist, interactive maps, Web 2.0 sharing, ReadSpeaker text-to-speech technology, language translations and more

Come and have a quick overview of our new products

T2.4 – FE Technologies

T2.5 - ClickView: So why do over 50% of Queensland Secondary Schools use it? – Janelle Rehua, Queensland Learning Advisor.
ClickView, very simply, is the most comprehensive digital video solution for schools. It provides an ever expanding library of educational video content and a simple engaging interface for both students and staff, emphasising its power as a true teaching and learning tool. ClickView has an excellent range of ready built-in utilities and additional products that allow schools to build their own video content from any screen rights approved source. ClickView is now licensed and in use in over 50% of the secondary schools across Queensland, and its growth is continuing with new products that deliver even more functionality for schools, their teachers and students. Our presentation at SLAQ will demonstrate and discuss many of the newest developments built in to the ClickView systems, as well as providing a clear outline of the capabilities of the base system. Join us and see why so many schools continue to utilize the ClickView Digital Video System.

T2.6 – Enhancing student learning with the University of Queensland Cyberschool -- Kate Rowe, UQL Cyberschool Coordinator
The UQ Library Cyberschool through its website, provides teachers and students in Queensland schools with access to scholarly electronic and print resources for effective teaching and learning. The UQ Library Cyberschool negotiates discounted purchase prices for school access to e-journals and online databases and provides advice, support and solutions to technical problems; conducts classes in the use of the UQ Library Online Catalogue and information resources, including a free database of Internet Sites relevant to the senior school curriculum; tours of the University Library; and introduces school students to the University and its schools programs. The University of Queensland Library has extended book borrowing privileges to eligible secondary schools within reach of a UQ Library branch.  The UQ Library Cyberschool holds regular updates and seminars for teacher-librarians and teachers in innovative pedagogy and technology.

Concurrent session 2

CS2.1 – The GiggleIT Project – Pat Carmichael, Barbara Combes, Australia, and Katy Manck, USA.
The GiggleIT Project, is an initiative of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) Children’s and Young Adult Literature (CYAL), Special Interest Group (SIG). This project is an example of how IASL endeavours to promote an inclusive outlook, racial tolerance and collaboration between schools using the association as a mentoring and information resources sharing conduit. The association promotes literacy outcomes and provides educational support for teachers and students worldwide, while also promoting global unity, racial tolerance and understandings through the use of children's humour and writings, which in turn lead children to think about cultural similarities and differences. This project was accepted by the Foundation for Subjective Experience and Research as an educational initiative for the Year of Reconciliation 2009 as part of the United Nations projects for international cultural understanding.

CS2.2 – Inquiry learning with senior secondary students – Jill Stotter, New Zealand.
This workshop will model for classroom teachers, one way to plan, teach, resource and assess inquiry-based learning which encompasses the guiding principles of a newly gazetted curriculum. The vision of the New Zealand curriculum is to produce ‘…young people who will be confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learners’ (p. 8), and this is further supported by a strong focus on the importance of student attitudes and values, plus the five key competencies that need to be embedded into all learning and teaching in New Zealand schools.

CS2.3 – Culturally sensitive learning practices – Dr Lesley Farmer, USA.
In today’s global world, to provide meaningful education, teacher-librarians and their students need to become culturally competent: open to learning about other cultures and sharing one’s own culture, able to change personal perspectives, and able to communicate effectively across cultures. Hofstede’s model of cultural dimensions provides a framework for examining culturally-sensitive library implications. Specific strategies are suggested to address language barriers, student-teacher relations, choosing resources, learning activities, technical issues and assessment.

CS2.4 – Frame by frame: understanding the appeal of the graphic novel -- Joy Lawn, Australia
What are graphic novels? Are they comic books?Sophisticated picture books? Picture books and other books containing comic strips/panels? Illustrated novels? Or something else? Why is there a growing interest in them, particularly in schools? What is their appeal? Why should they be valued in schools? Which graphic novels should be used and promoted?
This session answers these questions and covers what graphic novels are, how they can be used with students, and stand-out examples of graphic novels – both Australian and international. Re-interpretation of the classics as graphic novels and the appeal of the graphic novel for reluctant readers will also be addressed.
Teacher-librarians, teachers, academics, illustrators and anyone interested in storytelling through visual means will be encouraged to take the leap and immerse themselves in graphic novels in order to recognise and value them; and use them with their students – just like they would with any other quality books.

CS2.5 – Enhancing literacy & curriculum using digitalised collections and approaches – Bill Lukenbill, USA.
Digitised collections offer a wealth of resources for improving a wide variety of literacies that promote critical thinking skills, instruction and curriculum enhancements. Digitised collections and processes are increasing rapidly in their development and availability and as such introduce issues such as public access, copyright laws, limitations on use, and the integration of both free and commercially available digitalised materials. Governments around the world offer an abundance of digitalised information, often with curriculum guidance. Together with these issues, questions concerning how to evaluate and integrate curriculum and literacy ideas into instruction using digitalisation are considered. This paper provides examples of subject areas attuned to digitations including literature, history, current events, sociology, health and science, and local collections. Suitable policies and procedures are discussed promoting efficient programming including collection development, project management, technical needs, online dissemination, and reference and consultation services.

CS2.6 – School librarianship in Brazil: reality and perspectives: Presentation by the recipient of the Da Vinci Huis - IASL Fund – Brazil -- Lilia Virginia Martins Santos, Brazil.
This session will present the reality of school libraries in Brazil. It will discuss some aspects of its educational system and the government goal to provide good quality public education for all Brazilian children and adolescents. It will show the perspectives brought about by a new Federal law recently approved requiring local governments to open and support libraries in every public school. The hope is for the recognition of the important role librarians play and to strengthen school librarianship in Brazil. It will also present the fourteen-year experience of positive results of the School Library Network of the Municipal Department of Education in the city of Belo Horizonte, that counts with 183 libraries attending more than 200.000 users.

Poster sessions

P1.1 – Middle school literature circles at BGG – Vicki Palmer, Australia.
Students in Years 6, 7 and 8 participate in Literature Circles either as part of their English program or as a stand-alone subject. The boys are guided through strategies to develop their abilities to contribute to group discussions meaningfully and thoughtfully and these will be shown as part of the display. Each year group approaches the task slightly differently, catering for a range of ability levels, as well as diverse maturity levels and interests. There will also be book lists and comments on display by the boys themselves as they reflect on their progress. As we move further into the digital age, we have been including blogging as an appropriate way to communicate about their work. Some examples of students’ blogs will also be on display.

P1.2 – Room to read – Margo Pickworth, Australia.
Room to Read is an innovative non-profit leader dedicated to promoting and enabling global education. Founded in 2000, the organisation is based on the belief that education is crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty in the developing world. Since then, the organisation has supported over 4 million children by providing increased access to higher-quality educational opportunities. We have established more than 1,100 schools, over 9,200 bilingual libraries with 7 million books, and continue to support the education of nearly 9,000 girls.

P1.3 – Calibrating the learning engine – Greg Howes, Australia.
At the start of 2010, Brisbane Grammar School opened its new library, complete with flexible learning spaces designed for innovative 21st Century teaching and learning. Together with an orientation to the new facilities, the teacher-librarians developed an information literacy program to reinforce and refine key skills and strategies, particularly for senior students. While information literacy learning is undoubtedly an ongoing pursuit, embedded within different contexts, the program was launched with three intensive sessions across three days for all students in Years 11 and 12. Three broad areas were covered across the sessions: research skills and referencing, Web 2.0 tools, and digital citizenship. Sessions were interactive, encouraged collaboration and showcased the affordances of technologically-rich learning spaces. This poster will outline what was covered in the program and show how the new spaces were used to enhance students’ learning experiences in the library.

P1.4 - Christchurch City Libraries ‘Ready for Reading’ – Philippa Buckley and Brad Meek, New Zealand.
Ready for Reading (R4R) is a project based upon a literacy support kit distributed to children as they turn four years of age. The goal of the project is to strengthen children’s readiness for the acquisition of print literacy skills upon school entry (usually on or near their fifth birthday). This project implemented by the Christchurch City Libraries (Canterbury, New Zealand) draws on the highly successful ‘Bookstart’ project, initially based in Birmingham, UK. Ready for Reading builds on New Zealand’s literacy focus which is to strengthen skills in targeted underachieving groups. In support of this goal R4R is trialling an additional intervention strategy based on parents attending workshops to accompany the resource. In addition to providing support for the skills embedded with the acquisition of print literacy, the workshop intervention is a vehicle for building positive relationships with a group of non-library users.

P1.5 – Keeping Australian children’s literature alive: the work of the Lu Rees Archives and the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust – Judith Russell, Australia.
This session looks both to the past and the future of Australia’s children’s literature. Information will be given about the valuable and comprehensive research collection of Australian children's literature being preserved and made available at the Lu Rees Archives in Canberra. This collection of resources about Australian creators and their works includes over 20,000 books (including 2,400 overseas translations in 50 languages), over 360 research files, and significant collections of authors', illustrators' and publishers' papers, manuscripts and artwork. The resources are publicly available and visitors are most welcome. Named after May Gibbs, who was Australia’s first professionally trained, full-time children’s book author and illustrator, the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust supports the careers of today’s creators of books for children through the provision of Creative Time Residential Fellowships in apartments in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne. Not only is there the opportunity for authors and illustrators to concentrate on their creative work, but also the chance to develop ideas, network with local creators and build audiences for their work in a different environment.

P1.6 – Promote reading! Challenge your students through book trailers and Readers Cup – Leanne McDougal, Australia

Last updated 5 September 2010